Bill Plante, CBS News Senior White House Correspondent, made a rather shocking statement Sunday about the Obama administration's media strategy.

Appearing on CNN's Reliable Sources, Plante said that to the extent the White House is able to "put out their own material" without the Washington press corps, "they're undercutting the First Amendment...it's state-run media" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

HOWARD KURTZ, HOST: Bill Plante, you've been patrolling that building since Ronald Reagan. Does the White House press look a little self-involved, a little whiny as I said earlier, complaining about this Tiger incident?

BILL PLANTE, CBS NEWS SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: We've gotten used to being called whiny lapdogs. I've heard it for 30 years. But this is not about a picture of Tiger Woods. This is about access to the president. And access to the president has been cut and pushed and curtailed over every administration I've covered.

And here's the nub of it, Howie: this administration has the tools to reach people on their own. They don't need us as much. And to the extent that they're able to do that, they're undercutting the First Amendment, which guarantees a free press through many voices. If they put out their own material, it's state-run media.

Conservative radio hosts such as Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Mark Levin have been talking about state-run media since Obama was elected. It's nevertheless extraordinary to hear this from someone at CBS News.

Of course, it would have been nice for Plante to say this before Election Day.

Regardless, it's going to be interesting to see whether more in the media begin making this case or if the lapdogs will just continue lapping.

Lap dogs in every administration? Sam Donaldson, Helen Thomas et al falling over themselves to catch out the president/press secretary is what comes to mind. If there were lap dogs in a Rep. presidency there were always a counterpoint to that in spades.

Interesting comments by Plante, but I’m afraid he wouldn’t have said it if he thought it would have an effect on this presidency.

Lap dogs in every administration? Sam Donaldson, Helen Thomas et al falling over themselves to catch out the president/press secretary is what comes to mind. If there were lap dogs in a Rep. presidency there was always a counterpoint to that in spades.

Interesting comments by Plante, but I’m afraid he wouldn’t have said it if he thought it would have an effect on this presidency.

A wise FReeper pointed out to me shortly before the FR outage last week that liberals may have declared victory, consider Republicans will no longer even be competitive, and are beginning to eat their own.

How's it feel when you're the object, Billy Boy? Late to the game, are we? Just finding out your hero has his own Propaganda Ministry? We riff-raff have known this from the start.

I hope he keeps ignoring and bypassing you clowns completely. It's cosmic justice, and altogether fitting after all the prostrate kneeling and a$$ kissing you and your pals have done to help this "pres--ent" somehow get elected twice.

21
posted on 02/24/2013 5:18:24 PM PST
by Emile
(Leftists are so 'open-minded', their brains have fallen out. -- (HT to GOPJ))

No. They ALL know full what they have done. They have lied for and excused Obama for at least five years, to the extent they have made asses of themselves and endangered our very freedom.. So after the fact, they throw a few crumbs in a feeble attempt to appear unbiased to salvage their non-existent morality and professionalism. Screw them.

And still the nets uncritically cover the emperor’s pronouncements. Why not just ignore anything he says unless it is in reply to one of their questions? Don’t report on him, at all, for an entire week.

this administration has the tools to reach people on their own. They don't need us as much. And to the extent that they're able to do that, they're undercutting the First Amendment, which guarantees a free press through many voices. If they put out their own material, it's state-run media.

Nonsense.

If the press doesn't have access to Obama, that doesn't stop them from writing critical stories of Obama.

They just choose not to do so.

-PJ

26
posted on 02/24/2013 5:26:06 PM PST
by Political Junkie Too
(If you are the Posterity of We the People, then you are a Natural Born Citizen.)

If Obama doesn’t need the existing “media” complex, neither do we in the citizen media. Not at all. No more than MacArthur needed Toyko Rose, or Eisenhower needed Berlin Betty.

The founders won our liberty with handwritten letters delivered by men on horseback. Certainly we can find a way to preserve that liberty for our posterity with the plethora of communications tools we now have at our fingertips.

27
posted on 02/24/2013 5:26:51 PM PST
by EternalVigilance
(Go to Basic Training. Read the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Then follow them.)

“Howie: this administration has the tools to reach people on their own. They don’t need us as much.”
I’m not buying into this. If the press wanted to be relevant they would put pressure on the president by asking tough questions and asking tough questions etc.and if he fails to answer, let the world know.
This guy has has the ability to do that right now. Quit whining.

"And here's the nub of it, Howie: this administration has the tools to reach people on their own. They don't need us as much. And to the extent that they're able to do that, they're undercutting the First Amendment, which guarantees a free press through many voices. If they put out their own material, it's state-run media."

They're pissed because they didn't get a photo op with Tiger Woods.

They're pissed because the President and his minions can conduct an internet campaign without benefit of giving them schmooz time.

They are pissed because it is their prerogatives that are being abused.

They are NOT pissed because the President is suborning the First Amendment. Or because he is governing against the will of the people. Or that he lies every time he opens his mouth.

They are pissed because they aren't allowed to report and broadcast all of the lies on an exclusive basis.

If the State runs the Media it is because the Media has allowed it. They have been kissing Obama’s buttocks from day one. Not one investigation into his background and they hide or ridicule anyone who dares to take a stand.

The Media is no Media at all it is political propaganda for Obama and if this guy is mad it’s because he miised out on kissing Obama’s butt while he and Reggie were in Fla.

Appearing on CNN's Reliable Sources, Plante said that to the extent the White House is able to "put out their own material" without the Washington press corps, "they're undercutting the First Amendment...it's state-run media"

when you didn't bother to demand a TRUE and REAL birth certificate, didn't bother to wonder why bamey's name and "mans country" ran together on the rumor page, what this man actually DID during his lifetime, and how many drugs he smoked or snorted, and when you couldn't find one serious question to ask this thug for the past 6 yrs...YOU AND YOU ALONE are to blame...

there's people like freepers who actually KNEW this joke president just thru our own research and its been like screaming into the wind with you guys...

Conservative radio hosts such as Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Mark Levin have been talking about state-run media since Obama was elected. It's nevertheless extraordinary to hear this from someone at CBS News.

Meh. Plante is only whining now because he's disappointed that Ubama doesn't seem to appreciate all that CBS and the rest of the Democrat "mainstream" newsrooms have done to get him, a community organizer who has never done anything in his whole stinking life other than promote himself, elected and RE-elected President.

“Im not buying into this. If the press wanted to be relevant they would put pressure on the president by asking tough questions and asking tough questions etc.and if he fails to answer, let the world know.
This guy has has the ability to do that right now. Quit whining.”

I agree. The press has more than enough opportunity to humble his administration, but they won’t, because they are deluded ideologues.

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